President Taft Is Stuck in the Bath

by Mac Barnett, Chris Van Dusen (Illustrations)

George Washington crossed the Delaware in the dead of night.

Abraham Lincoln saved the Union.

William Howard Taft got stuck in a bathtub and then got unstuck. This is his story.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Humor, Childrens, Presidents, Fiction, Historical

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 25, 2014

About the author

Born to non-farmers in a California farming community, Mac Barnett now lives near San Francisco. He's on the board of directors of 826LA, a nonprofit writing center for students in Los Angeles, and he founded the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the things to go down in history for! For some reason I always forget him in the presidential line; then I remember he is the only person to have held both the offices of POTUS and (C)SCOTUS. I am not sure about the authenticity of this story; have heard other versions - but it is still a fun book.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

It may be that I have no sense of humor, but I have nothing positive to say about this book. It purports to be about the 27th President of the United States, who also was the only president also to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But all this book tells you about Taft is that he was fat. And then it proceeds to make fun of him, portraying him as ridiculous, repulsive, and feckless.

The illustrations by Chris Van Dusen are bound to make children laugh, which is also unfortunate, since they all show a vastly obese man in a bathtub with rolls of fat hanging over the side, who can’t get out, despite the efforts of many different people to help him.

In contradistinction to the man presented in this book, Taft was a talented man who had a number of accomplishments before, during, and after his presidency. He was Solicitor General of the United States, Governor-General of the Philippines, and under his good friend President Theodore Roosevelt he served as Secretary of War. He was also Roosevelt’s handpicked presidential successor.

As President, Taft continued Roosevelt’s trust-busting reforms and made an effort to help African Americans and unskilled laborers. He reorganized the State Department and instituted the program, still used today, of “Dollar Diplomacy.”

Upon leaving the White House in 1913, Taft taught at Yale Law School, worked to oppose prohibition, and advocated world peace, ultimately founding the League to Enforce Peace. From 1921 to 1930 he served on the Supreme Court.

Not one of these accomplishments are presented in this book. As far as any kid reading this will know, the only thing Taft was memorable for was for being fat, which equals, in this book, laughable and repulsive.

Evaluation: Given the one-dimensional and unfair presentation of President Taft, as well as the problem children have in school with acceptance, bullying, cruelty, and the rest, I find this book reprehensible.

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. I'm sure this was meant to be a hilarious idea. Chris Van Dusen's illustrations are bright and bold and certainly in keeping with the wild text--however I don't think I've ever wanted to see that much bare naked president in my life--even if it is just a drawing.

This tale takes an anecdote that may or may not have been true and turns it into a wild romp of people trying to get the president unstuck from the bathtub.

Now I have no problems with bathtubs or people in them. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Don and Audrey Wood manages a similar theme without the er . . . excessive skin, fat rolls and carefully manages shots to cover up particular bits.

Also the whole thing is sort of dependent on the "fat joke" idea. I'm not really a fan of mocking another's weight--and Taft is depicted as not just portly, but hugely obese.

The issue of mocking a president? I'm less concerned since there are plenty of books that do so--but I'm fairly uncomfortable with this particular story and illustration. Just can't find it funny.

[Kate McGinty aka Caryn Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it has never been proven, legend has it that President Taft was so large that he once got stuck in his bathtub. This book explores what might have happened that day -- provided it actually did happen, that is.

Although the book aims for humor over accuracy, the first page does introduce Taft's other accomplishments, while an author's note at the end explains the mythology of the bathtub story and outlines many other facts about President Taft. The illustration of Taft's barely-concealed naked bottom as he is flung out the window is just scandalous enough for hilarity, without being inappropriate for the classroom. Some of the more-sophisticated humor may go over younger students' heads, however, so this one may work better in the older elementary grades, or even in middle school. This would be a fun, funny introduction to units on presidents or on folk legends and tall tales.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I'm not going to take credit for every book I read my baby, but I do need to spread the gospel of this exceptional piece of literature (with excellent illustrations). Plus a bunch of bonus Taft-related bathtub facts at the end! A perfect book. I would even go as far to say that we should refer to THIS as The Good Book from this point on.

[Melki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm normally a fan of Barnett's work, but this one seems just pointless and cruel, not to mention unfunny. Leave this one on the shelf.

[Shandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, yet not. I felt uncomfortable with the book's angle of making fun of a man stuck in the bath due to his size. I did find the facts on the last page interesting, as I had never heard this story before. No one knows if it's true, but apparently it has been rumored since Taft's presidency... Still, not sure I would read this for storytime. Maybe one on one with some discussion.

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I about died laughing reading this book with my littles.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This won't be a review of the book so much as a review of my experience since checking the book out from the library.

I originally got this book for my husband - I thought he would get a kick out of it and he did. What I did not expect was for my 1.5-year-old to bond with it so hard that I will now probably have to buy it once I run out of renewals.

Everyday when we get home, she goes right to her shelf and asks for it to be read. Earlier this week we had a Taft-induced tiny temper tantrum when I refused to read the book for a second time before we left for daycare. Ushi is Taft's biggest fan.

1 star off for making me 5 minutes late for work, Barnett. Blast!

[Hayley DeRoche · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title pretty much gives away why this gets 5 stars. President Taft is stuck in the bath. There you go. I'm yours, book. You had me at President Taft is stuck in the bath.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was embarrassing.

[Jen Wehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this quick because the title made me laugh, I ran across it while doing a search for a book about Taft while on my quest to read one book per president. Don’t worry, he’ll get his due.

[DoRena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun. Just the right amount of repetition and action. Vivid cast of characters brought to life with combination of words and pictures. Nice photograph and history info at the end.

[Michele Knott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe the story is true, maybe not, but it's funny to read! Mac Barnett did a great job writing this amusing story and Chris Van Dusen's illustrations will have kids rolling on the floor.
Young children will enjoy this humorous story, but I think older kids will actually appreciate the government people and terms that are mentioned in the story.
Read the story once for the humor, go back and look for the details that you missed the first time!
Although, I will say, after reading the reviews, I do agree with what people said. It's a shame that this is what President Taft is being known for, his enormity within the bathtub. Makes for a funny story, but in the days where we work so hard to not tolerate bullying, is this the story we want passed around about a past president? It's not to say I won't use this picture book, but I think I would also make sure students understood the important things President Taft did for our country as well.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based loosely on the legend that the robust twenty-seventh president got stuck in the bathtub, this story grows more preposterous by the page as different cabinet members offer unlikely solutions to solve the problem. The hilarious caricature illustrations make this a book that will captivate young readers. Reviewer 12.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a hoot! Whether Taft really got stuck in the tub or if it's urban legend, this is a fun book. Looking forward to reading it to my classes.

[Amy Vaterlaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book with great illustrations! I am excited to see what Jase thinks of this one =)

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will forever remember that Taft was stuck in a bath. This fun story has great illustrations. Plus at the end there is history of rafts tubs and even a picture of one with four men in it.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A just for fun read after a quick overview of the presidents at the end of our co-op. A silly story about ridiculous solutions to a problem, and how much trouble would have been saved if his wife had been able to get a word in. The facts at the end about President Taft and bathtubs were a nice touch.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot going on. I wouldn't actually read this to kids. The illustrations are very absurd and as naked as one can get in a children's book. As an adult who knows nothing about Taft it made me want to know more about him. Clearly the illustrations were trying to make me laugh about how large he was but that's not what was funny about this book to me - it was the absurdity of the suggestions from everyone (except his wife who is classically the most sane and also ignored) which illustrates so well how ridiculous our government's solutions often seem.

[Kayla Yirdaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satirical (probable) tall tale about President Taft. Van Dusen does an outstanding job at caricatures styled illustrations that will leave kids belly laughing. As far as historical knowledge is concerned, this book doesn’t have it.

[Maki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! About a former US president rumoured to have gotten stuck in the bath and all the ideas they come up with! Too funny!

[Beyondthebookends · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story of President Taft getting stuck in the bath and Mac Barnett's storytelling adds a hilarious twist. Chris Van Dusen's illustrations enhance the story and take the book to the next level. (You know Chris Van Dusen is our favorite!)

We have a round up of a dozen patriotic picture books to teach kids about US History at https://www.beyondthebookends.com/201...

[babyhippoface · Rating 5 out of 5]

27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft was the only president to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court. (He also gave us the federal income tax, but I'm trying to overlook that.) But if you ask most people what they remember about William Howard Taft, it’s usually only that he was our largest president, weighing in at over 300 pounds.

I’m pretty sure that’s not what I would want to be remembered for, but there are some memorable stories to go along with it. This funny new picture book by Mac Barnett and Chris Van Dusen immortalizes the day President Taft got stuck in his bathtub (or did he?). The illustrations are colorful and robust, the story is told well, and I guarantee kids will get some laughs out of the President’s embarrassment in the pictures.

The Author’s Note of the back includes a photograph of the Taft’s actual bathtub with four men seated inside and room for more. There’s also a list of facts pertaining to President Taft and bathtubs, and speculation as to whether he ever really was stuck in the bathtub or not. No newspapers, letters, or diaries confirmed that he ever was really stuck in the White House tub, but it sure makes an entertaining story.

Whether or not it’s actually appropriate for us to be laughing at a very personal moment in the life of a President can be debated. It’s easy to see how some people would find this book offensive and degrading. I’m trying to look at it from the other point of view: is there a way to use this book in the classroom?

As I read the book I kept being reminded of Audrey Wood’s King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub. There are several similarities here, including the stream of people being brought in in an attempt to get the big men out of the tub. Each suggestion is either rejected or fails. The simple solution turns out to be the best in each case, and the men in the bathtub are not spared embarrassment in either book. I think these two titles would pair fantastically well for a compare/contrast lesson that would have the kids really giggling. Whether or not it fits into the curriculum, outside of just learning to use compare and contrast, I couldn’t say, but it sure would be a lot of fun.

[Michael Rank · Rating 5 out of 5]

President Taft Is Stuck In A Bath is probably my second favorite book about President, right after Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer. While Vampire Slayer created an alternate universe (a much more interesting universe) where Abe Lincoln also helped repel the invading vampires, President Taft is Stuck In A Bath recounts an urban legend saying that at some point in his presidency Howard Taft, a rather large man, got stuck in his bath, hence why he had such over-sized tubs built for him.

I've seen plenty of reviews upset that the book uses making fun of his size as the source of humor, it never came across that way to me. Maybe because I am a 6'5" tall man weighing 275 pounds I can laugh at his predicament because I've yet to find a tub comfortable enough for me to fit into. But the humor is focused more on the increasingly ridiculously ways that the people around him want to get him OUT of the bath. The VP is ready to dismiss the President entirely and just graciously become President himself. The war general wants to blow up the tub with Taft still in it. When Taft says, "Blast basting! That's dangerous!" the war general replies, "You'd be wearing a helmet."

As Taft gets used to the idea of living in a tub forever, his thoughts of the future also get sillier. He asks if he should be carried around in the tub by strapping young men before saying it's un-American.

But it all comes down to Taft's wife whose simplest answer is the best. And while everyone is too busy glad-handing themselves for a job well done, they forget about the naked President entirely who simply wants a towel.

What's great is that at the end of the book Mac Barnett even offers up a factual timeline around the bathtub conspiracy which, until this book, I didn't even realize was a thing that happened.

Reading Taft in a voice that bellows, fitting someone who would constantly yell, "BLAST!" makes the story even funnier to me, even if the story itself is probably too long to read at a storytime. The illustrations are great and make me want to search out more of Chris Van Dusen's work. And overall, it's a great book to have on hand during President's Day.

[San Diego Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Melanie Dillon for San Diego Book Review

Oh no! President William Howard Taft has gotten himself stuck in his tub! What is a world leader to do? Call all his advisers, of course. But can they solve his problem? Mac Barnett’s book, ‘President Taft is Stuck in the Bath’ is a very cute way to introduce children to the prospect that history is more than dates and important events. History is full of fun anecdotes like this! Children are taken through a silly string of problem solving until finally a logical solution is found.

You can read this entire review and others like it at San Diego Book Review.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did President William Howard Taft, our heaviest President, get stuck in the White House bathtub? Some say yes, others deny it. If you told a kid that the president was stuck in the bath and asked him how he would get out, they might have the same wacky ideas that are presented in this book.

President Taft decided to call in the vice president and all his cabinet members for solutions of how to get unstuck from his small bath. They range from useless to absurd including greasing the tub with fresh butter and blasting him out with TNT.

I read this book out loud with my family and it gave my husband a really good laugh.There were some things that poked fun of the absurdity of the government and the idea of calling a committee to assist with getting someone out of the bath. Things that would be completely missed by younger readers but appreciated by adults. My favorite was the Sectary of the Treasury suggestion "Throw money at the problem"

However while we were enjoying this book, we did have to admit, it was a bit of "mean fun". We were laughing at a very large naked man stuck in the bathtub. In a kid's book its hilarious. In real life, it would be embarrassing. The illustrations by Chris Van Dusen are amazing and he is presented with a challenge of rendering a naked 300 pound plus man. People who are squeamish about the naked body or can't read through a potty or bath-time picture book without feeling weird would want to skip this. I found my mind straying towards the gutter while trying to admire the illustrations and not be distracted on what was lurking underneath those cleverly placed bubbles.

My one pet peeve about this books was how often the word "said" was used. It probably because I was reading it out loud and getting tired of saying it. I feel if you are introducing this book to kids who at least have an idea of what a president is and an appreciation for the subject, you might wanted to include some more verbs for the sake of introducing more vocabulary.

[Venus · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many myths surrounding our US Presidents. George Washington and the cherry tree. Honest Abe. Have you ever heard the one about President Taft who, despite having a special tub made for him, was still too large and got stuck in the bath? This story chronicles the late President's dilemma as he, his wife, and various government officials try to come up with a solution.

Part of me wants to say that this is a story in bad taste. After all, Van Dusen doesn't shy away from the many fat folds that encompassed Taft's girth. There are even two scenes, one involving a scuba diver in the tub (shudder) and one as Taft flies out of the tub that made me cringe. Also, isn't it just a little bit sad that the only thing we really seem to remember about Taft was how large he was?

However, I think kids will find it hysterical. Not only for its possible truth, but because Barnett tells the tale in a way that is reminiscent of the Tall Tales of old and isn't afraid to make the story just a little ridiculous. Then, at the end there is an author's note that includes some facts and a photo of Taft's bathtub. Captain Archie Butt (hahaha) in 1910 once said, "His [President Taft] sense of humor carries him over a good many pitfalls, and sometimes there is a touch of Lincoln in the way he makes use of anecdotes to illustrate a point." This leads me to believe that perhaps Taft himself would have gotten a kick out of this book and that is good enough for me.

Review originally posted here at Children's Atheneum.

[Travis Unterseher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief Review:
President Taft is Stuck in the Bathtub is a historical fiction picture book. This book was a first runner up for the Buckaroo Award from the Wyoming Library Association. This book is very comical and has good illustrations that will get students asking many questions. The book also throws in many historical names from when Taft was the president and give a short bio of President Taft at the beginning.

Content Area:
This book could bee used in the History content area. This book can be read to students to show a lighter side of presidential stories while using it to teach factual information as well. This book can also be used as an introduction to a section on learning about U.S. Presidents. It will help gets kids interest in the subject of wanting to see if other presidents had similar stories.

Comprehension Questions:

Q: Describe two ways that were used to try to get President Taft unstuck from the bathtub.
A: One way that was brought up was calling the Secretary of Agriculture and having them try to put butter all around the tub. Another was the Secretary of Defense wanted to use TNT to blow up the tube and a helmet on the president to protect him.

Q: Do you think that President Taft used the right people to get him out of the tub in the book and Why?
A: Yes he used the right people, this is because he called in the people that he trusted the most that he had already appointed to be his secretaries.

Student Wonders:
So did he really get stuck?
How big is his bathtub?
Is the tub he put in the White House still there?
Didn't he realize he was going to be to big for the tub?

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hyperbole based on a rumored story about President Taft. On the one hand, it irks me that for all his achievements this is how he is remembered and presented for children. On the other hand, after the initial two page spread the story reads very much like cumulative folktales such as The Great Big Enormous Turnip in that there is a problem and many characters are called in to solve it, and ending with a big finish.

Following the story is an author's note that includes a photo of the bathtub Taft used and some facts about bathtubs Taft used during his lifetime. The author admits that the tale of Taft in the bathtub may never even have happened.

Gouache artwork does a great job of heightening the action and the absurdity of the story. Also well done are the no-shows regarding nudity.

Overall, this book makes for a fun read aloud and could be a good book for inciting interest in the Presidents. I would preface any reading of it with a discussion listing this president's many achievements over the course of his career, but I think the exaggerated tone in which the text is written would even please the subject were he to read it today.

PreK-2+.